Tag Archives: Russell Dam

A tale of 3 reservoirs

If August’s precipitation – the best of 2016 thus far – raised anyone’s hopes, September officially dashed them.

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Richard B. Russell – not your average hydropower plant

(A version of this article originally appeared on this blog May 29, 2013.) The youngest of Savannah District’s three multipurpose dam and lake projects, Richard B. Russell Dam differs from Hartwell and Thurmond, not just size and appearance, but also … Continue reading

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Upper Savannah reservoirs enter Drought Level 1

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The three reservoirs on the Savannah River operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers entered the first drought level today when pool elevation at Thurmond Lake dipped below 326 feet above mean sea level (ft-msl). Entering … Continue reading

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Commander: Persistent, below normal rainfall expected to impact lake levels

Since I took command of the Savannah District in June 2015 we’ve been fortunate to have adequate, and sometimes abundant, rainfall and inflows to maintain full reservoir levels. Beginning in January we observed below-average rainfall throughout the basin, yet were … Continue reading

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Living on borrowed rain

Now that it’s officially summer, the heat is on in more ways than one. Namely, if the trend of sub-par precipitation doesn’t improve, the basin could enter drought level 1 before August. That same trajectory would bring us to drought … Continue reading

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A tale of the toothless El Niño?

I’m not one to taunt El Niño, especially in a season where forecasters have consistently predicted a strong showing, but two months of below-average rainfall have brought to mind the old lady from the 1980s Wendy’s commercial who asks, “Where’s the … Continue reading

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High praise for below average performance

For all the hubbub this year’s strong El Niño has generated among forecasters, January’s precipitation, which delivered about 80% of the average at each sub-basin, felt more underwhelming than the numbers suggest. It’s like when LeBron James only scores 20 … Continue reading

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Irrigation prohibition suspended until further notice

In response to a high volume of stakeholder feedback, as well as input from adjacent landowners in a recent meeting, officials from the Corps’ South Atlantic Division (SAD) have announced suspension of the new policy change prohibiting minor water withdrawals … Continue reading

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When it comes to rainfall, 5 feet is no small feat

The Savannah River Basin rang in the new year with a bang, but instead of watching the ball (or peach) drop, it basked in the El Niño-inspired, recording-breaking precipitation. Thurmond led all revelers with its 11.1 inches in December, which … Continue reading

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Corps responds to shoreline management concerns

As we expected, the original post last week generated significant attention here on the blog and through email directed to our office. Five issues seemed to stand out which I will address.

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